How can open and distance learning and information and communications technology (ICT) provide us with more - and better - teachers?
Open and distance learning is increasingly used in teacher education in developing and developed countries. It has the potential to strengthen and expand the teaching profession of the twenty-first century and to help achieve the target of education for all by 2015. Teacher Education Through Open and Distance Learning examines the case for using open and distance learning and ICT to train our educators. It describes and analyses the ways in which these methods and technologies are used for:
*initial teacher training and continuing professional development
*training principals and school managers
*training those who provide non-formal adult and community education
*communities of practice and sharing of knowledge and ideas within the teaching profession
It also discusses the policy-making, management, technology, costing, evaluation and quality assurance aspects of this work. The contributors are outstanding practitioners in the field. The first review in over a decade, Teacher Education Through Open and Distance Learning draws on wide-ranging and international experience to summarise the strengths and weaknesses of new approaches to the education of teachers. It offers invaluable guidance to policymakers, planners, headteachers and teachers.

This book is aimed at those who are considering, or just starting to plan open and distance learning (ODL) courses. It offers practical advice on how to find your students, expand your audience and become cost-effective without compromising quality. The main areas covered are:
*basic principles and different approaches to ODL
*different types of self-study materials, media, and student support from your institution
*building quality assurance into the development process
With a wide range of practical, tried-and-tested examples and case studies, the book provides a complete guide to setting up ODL courses.

This book is aimed at those who are considering, or just starting to plan open and distance learning (ODL) courses. It offers practical advice on how to find your students, expand your audience and become cost-effective without compromising quality. The main areas covered are:
*basic principles and different approaches to ODL
*different types of self-study materials, media, and student support from your institution
*building quality assurance into the development process
With a wide range of practical, tried-and-tested examples and case studies, the book provides a complete guide to setting up ODL courses.

The Internet is changing the way we live and education has always played an important part in shaping our lives. It is now time for education to capitalise on the Internet's capabilities to create a new learning environment for tomorrow's students.
The Online Educator provides much needed straightforward advice on how to create a web-based education system. From Administrative planning and selecting resources to individual course development, it offers clear, novice-friendly information on the entire process of online learning. Key features include:
*clear definitions of common terms and concepts
*a practical 'how-to' approach with useful checklists
*a discussion of the issues for students and teaching staff
*links to useful websites and other resources
Based firmly on current distance learning research, yet accessible and very readable, this book will be indispensible to anyone interested in developing online education.

Related link: http://www.routledgefalmer.com/textbooks< /a>

The Internet is changing the way we live and education has always played an important part in shaping our lives. It is now time for education to capitalise on the Internet's capabilities to create a new learning environment for tomorrow's students.
The Online Educator provides much needed straightforward advice on how to create a web-based education system. From Administrative planning and selecting resources to individual course development, it offers clear, novice-friendly information on the entire process of online learning. Key features include:
*clear definitions of common terms and concepts
*a practical 'how-to' approach with useful checklists
*a discussion of the issues for students and teaching staff
*links to useful websites and other resources
Based firmly on current distance learning research, yet accessible and very readable, this book will be indispensible to anyone interested in developing online education.

Related link: http://www.routledgefalmer.com/textbooks< /a>

This collection of first-hand accounts from experienced and accomplished learning technology practitioners highlights issues in using learning technologies for flexible, distance and open learning. Drawing on their own experience, the authors identify and explore the most practical and complex issues faced and reflect upon the lessons learned. The definition of learning technologies is broad, encompassing not only the tools (print, audio, video, online applications) but their creative and informed application and social effects. Experiences from eight different countries are presented while the themes addressed include policy development, teaching skills, learner guidance, evaluation and reflective practice.
Often, busy practitioners argue that they do not have time for reflection but that they do have time to swap stories with colleagues. Using Learning Technologies promotes such engagement through a broad range of first-hand accounts of facing the challenges entailed in using learning technologies. The stories recounted here speak directly to practitioners, researchers and administrators, provide a model for reflection and offer practical guidelines for comparison with the reader's own experience.

eBook available with sample pages: HB:0415216877

Contents:
Part 1 Introduction 1. Using Learning Technologies: An Introduction Part 2 Policy Issues 2. Naming the Learning Technology Issues in Developing Countries 3. Public and Institutional Policy Interplay: Canadian Examples 4. Getting the Systems Right: Experience at the University of the West Indies 5. Developing Course Materials: A Context of Technology Constraints Part 3 Practice Issues 6. Lessons from Our Cyberclassroom 7. Teacher or Avatar? Identity Issues in Computer-mediated Contexts 8. Web-based Research Assistance 9. 'No One Will Listen to Us': Rural Fulbe Women Learning by Radio in Nigeria 10. Confronting Barriers to Distance Study in Tanzania Part 4 Quality Issues 11. Reflections on Evaluating Online Learning and Teaching 12. Evaluating the Use of Learning Technologies 13. Gender-sensitive Evaluation Research 14. Using Learning Technologies: A Synthesis of Challenges and Guidelines

Public and private providers of education and training are facing a shift to a more demand-driven market and expectations of greater accessibility, flexibility, quality, relevance and efficiency. Education and training are also being transformed by new information and communications technologies and becoming more global, competitive and commercialized. Such a destabilized and uncharted environment calls for transformational leadership, both at the organizational and the operational level, to energize and empower others to share the vision of what can be accomplished, to change work cultures and to create systems that are responsive andsustainable. In this thought-provoking and ground-breaking book, Colin Latchem and Donald Hanna critically examine: * global developments and trends in education and training* the changes, challenges and choices confronting educators and trainers* the development of an entrepreneurial culture* the processes of organizational change* leadership in traditional and open & flexible learningThe book also features interviews with eighteen distinguished educational leaders and innovators from across the globe. These provide unique and fascinating insights into the experiences, principles, ideas, feelings and approaches that CEOs and senior managers can bring to leading their organizations and open learning enterprises. The book concludes by summarizing the key leadership concepts and change strategies that are needed by those who lead or manage open and flexible learning or who aspire to change educational and training organizations and practice in the 21st century.List of contributorsProfessor Dominique Abrioux, President, Athabasca UniversityRobert C Albrecht,Former Vice-President for Academic Affairs and Chancellor Emeritus, Western Governors UniversityProfessor Denise Bradley, Vice-Chancellor, University of South AustraliaProfessor Rajesh Chandra, Deputy-Vice Chancellor, University of the South PacificProfessor Betty Collis, Faculty of Educational Science and Technology and Centre for Telematics and Information Technologies, University of Twente, the NetherlandsSir John Daniel, Vice-Chancellor, Open University, UKProfessor Dato' Gajaraj Dhanarajan, President and CEO of the Commonwealth of LearningProfessor Donald E Hanna, Professor of Educational Communications, University of Wisconsin-ExtensionGlenn R Jones, Founder and CEO, Jones International Universityb": The University of the Web and JonesKnowledge.comProfessor Abdul Khan, Vice-Chancellor of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Chairperson, Distance Education Council (DEe and Director of Development and Training with the Commonwealth of LearningRoger Lewis, Regional Consultant with the UK Higher Education Funding CouncilProfessor Marmar Mukhopadhyay, National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, IndiaDr Muriel Oaks, Associate Vice-President for Extended University Services, Washington State UniversityJanet Poley, President, American Distance Education ConsortiumSister Joel Read, President, Alverno CollegeBernadette Robinson, Special Professor of Comparative Education, School of Continuing Education, University of NottinghamBarbara Spronk, Executive Director, International Extension CollegeDr Brian Talbott, National Executive Director, Association of Educational Service Agencies

Open and distance learning has been used in many ways in the recent past to provide both primary education and adult education. The Commonwealth of Learning works with governments, schools and universities with the aim of strengthening the capacities of Commonwealth member countries in developing human resources required for their economic and social development. Many existing policy documents link distance education with new information and communication technologies, portraying them as a promising universal access and exponential growth of learning.
This book answers the key questions to these issues and assesses the impact and effect of the experience of basic education at a distance all over the world and in a wide variety of forms. This is the first major overview of this topic for twenty years.

Open and distance learning has been used in many ways in the recent past to provide both primary education and adult education. The Commonwealth of Learning works with governments, schools and universities with the aim of strengthening the capacities of Commonwealth member countries in developing human resources required for their economic and social development. Many existing policy documents link distance education with new information and communication technologies, portraying them as a promising universal access and exponential growth of learning.
This book reviews world experience in order to answer key questions about open and distance learning in basic education. It is the first major overview of this topic for twenty years.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203187628

Remote Learning: Engaging in K-12 Literacy Instruction is about teacher candidates engaging K-12 students in remote literacy instruction during their teacher preparation programs. This book includes new case studies for tutoring diverse students remotely with diverse literacy learning needs that ranges from English Language Learners to students with special needs. It also includes remote teaching in diverse settings such as, intervention programs, virtual and private schools, and so forth. Many more web meeting tools such as, Adobe Connect, Zoom, Google Classroom made it possible for synchronous tutoring. And be sure to check out the wide range of digital resources that supported K-12 remote literacy instruction. The digital tools included CommonLit, IXL, RoomRecess, ABC Mouse, and more!

Originally published in 1988. This book provides an overview of women's experience, access and needs in distance education. It includes contributions on distance learning programmes in Holland, Canada, the South Pacific, West Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Kenta, Great Britain, India, Papua New Guinea, Sweden and Turkey. Within this diversity are common international themes on the nature of the educational process for women in distance learning, whether the subject is building construction or art teaching. The incorporation of a historical perspective and an evaluation of the prospects for the future contextualises the descriptions of the ways in which women are currently re-defining themselves through distance education around the world.

Originally published in 1982 this volume provides nine case studies of particular distance teaching universities in Canada, China, Cost Rica, Germany, Israel, Pakistan, Spain, Venezuela and the UK. These universities were mainly founded in the 1970s to teach only at a distance. The book considers the provision of distance education by universities in general and the development and characteristics of the distance teaching universities in particular. Chronicling the emergence of new university structures between 1971-1981, the book also provides an appraisal of their performance in the early years.

Originally published in 1981 this volume provides a detailed analysis of the factors - strategic, pedagogic, operational, organisational and financial -which should be taken into account in the planning and running of large-scale, centralised distance education systems at the higher education level. The book uses evidence drawn from Open University type institutions in Canada, Costa Rica, Germany, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Venezuela and the UK.

Against a background of profound wordwide social and economic change, the concept of lifelong learning has come increasingly into the public eye. As educators and policy-makers rethink the meaning of education, the purpose of schooling and the place of learning in our everyday lives, educational institutions are opening up to those traditionally deprived of the opportunity. The books in this set, originally published between 1979 and 1992, including global case studies, reflect upon major issues confronting adult educators worldwide and discuss the role of adult education in social and community action examine the relationship between class and adult education look at the concept of culture and the transmission of cultural values in relations to adult education evaluate the role of adult education in reducing unemployment

Research has indicated that assessment is a key factor in student learning. This book details the issues of assessment in the open and distance learning field, where changes in budgets, the location and environment of the students and other factors have prompted innovations in assessment.

When asked the question, 'Think of the best teacher you ever had. What did that teacher do to make you consider him or her your best teacher?' the answers are never 'My best teacher gave us lots of worksheets to do, ' or 'My best teacher covered a lot of material.' Instead, typical answers range from the teachers who challenged, to the teachers who cared and the teachers who loved their subjects. Babbage calls those teachers 'extreme teachers, ' whose ultimate goal for students is 'extreme learning'. In the 'extreme learning' classroom, the students and the teacher create learning experiences which connect the real-life knowledge, talents, and interests of students with what needs to be learned today in the standards-based school curriculum. School becomes relevant to the outside world, and working harder to learn at school becomes important, beneficial, and meaningful. Babbage uses anecdotes, both his own and hypothetical, to demonstrate 'extreme learning'. He shows the disparity between training and understanding, where students are trained in standards, but they begin to truly understand the real-life application. 'Extreme learning' creates a partnership between teacher and student, where all learn and improve from each othe

Published in association with the Commonwealth of Learning
Open and distance learning has expanded dramatically in recent years across the world, across the spectrum of subject areas, and across educational levels. This book takes a detailed look at the state of the art of open and distance learning in higher education, and presents a fascinating picture of a world and its educational culture in transition.
This edited collection contains authoritative analyses of key issues together with current accounts of practice in each region of the world. It includes
*open and distance learning in relation to internationalisation, lifelong learning and flexible learning
*costs of distance education
*the impact of telecommunications
*applications of open and distance learning in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania.
It draws together experts in the field from all over the world, and has a truly international perspective on the phenomenon of open and distance learning. Its unparalleled breadth of coverage makes it an indispensable work of reference for experts and newcomers alike.

This open university reader is a wide-ranging interdisciplinary collection of material from primary sources, illustrating the relationship between cultural change and religious belief in sixteenth-century Europe. It contains more than eighty extracts drawn from a variety of genres including political, religious, philosophical and legal writing, diaries, letters, plays, poems and fiction. Some have never previously been published, others have not been reprinted since their original appearance in the sixteenth century, and a number are translated into modern English for the first time.
Culture and Belief in Europe 1450 - 1600' includes writing from such renowned thinkers as Erasmus, Luther, Machiavelli, and Sir Thomas More, besides that of lesser-known authors. Works of literature also feature extensively, and writings from Cervantes, Rabelais, Edmund Spenser, and Sir Philip Sidney amongst many others are all to be found here.
A general introduction describes the anthology's central aim - to explore aspects of the interrelationship between the politics, religion and writing of the period. The book is divided into eight thematic sections.
Spelling in the extracts has been sensitively modernized throughout, and the editors provide a headnote and appropriate explanatory annotation for each item.

This volume of essays from leading British, North American and Australasian contributors looks at the issues of the convergence of distance and conventional education. The term 'convergence' refers to the breaking down of barriers between open and distance learning and conventional institutions, and the creation of more and more institutions working across a range of modes. Such convergence has been driven by a number of factors, including the new technologies for teaching and learning, the impact of lifelong learning policies, the entry of larger than ever numbers of adult part-time students into tertiary education, and the demands of both employers and individuals for professional and work-related education throughout their working lives.
The fourteen chapters engage critically with a range of aspects of convergence, including:
* how well is open and distance learning carried out by conventional institutions for which it may continue for a lengthy period to be seen as of secondary importance?
* to what extent will open and distance learning be more effectively carried out by conventional institutions able to offer a variety of modes to a wide range of learners?
* how well will the variety of learners be served by systems that are converging?
* what are the managerial issues at institutional level where converging systems are being developed?

This volume of essays from leading British, North American and Australasian contributors looks at the issues of the convergence of distance and conventional education. The term 'convergence' refers to the breaking down of barriers between open and distance learning and conventional institutions, and the creation of more and more institutions working across a range of modes. Such convergence has been driven by a number of factors, including the new technologies for teaching and learning, the impact of lifelong learning policies, the entry of larger than ever numbers of adult part-time students into tertiary education, and the demands of both employers and individuals for professional and work-related education throughout their working lives.
The fourteen chapters engage critically with a range of aspects of convergence, including:
* how well is open and distance learning carried out by conventional institutions for which it may continue for a lengthy period to be seen as of secondary importance?
* to what extent will open and distance learning be more effectively carried out by conventional institutions able to offer a variety of modes to a wide range of learners?
* how well will the variety of learners be served by systems that are converging?
* what are the managerial issues at institutional level where converging systems are being developed?

'For a more balanced view of the challenges, achievements, and future of distance learning worldwide, in mind, scope, and spirit, this reviewer recommends this edited work.' - Higher Education in Europe

As institutions and organisations around the world move to more open and flexible delivery of educational and training programmes, there is increasing need for effective forms of staff development to encourage and support change. Staff development is not only critical in helping teachers and trainers acquire and improve their knowledge and skills in alternative modes of delivery, but in helping to shape the policies, procedures and attitudes that are needed for more learner-centred approaches. This book draws together the experiences, insights and findings of some of the world's leading staff developers in open and flexible education. It is designed to provide an overview of the trends, influences and events which are shaping the work of these professionals, and the policy changes, processes and outcomes they are helping to bring about in this expanding field. The book offers various frameworks and strategies for staff development activities, with examples from commercial, professional and educational settings, and shows how these can be refined and adapted to more specific contexts.